


I Got My Fingers Crossed And My Stomach In Knots

by Codydarkstalker



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Fluff, Kid Rock Lee, Kid Uchiha Sasuke, Kid Uzumaki Naruto, M/M, Minor Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy, Multi, Polyamory, Umino Iruka Adopts Uzumaki Naruto, parenting is hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24230074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codydarkstalker/pseuds/Codydarkstalker
Summary: Sometimes the world needs you to rise to the occasion. Iruka learned early that being out in the field wasn't where he could do the most for his village and the people in it that he loved. Sure, being a teacher isn't glamorous, but it gives him time for what's important, his family. And sometimes family is just another word for the crazy Jonin that keep showing up with crying children in the small hours of the night.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy/Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Maito Gai | Might Guy/Umino Iruka
Comments: 16
Kudos: 198





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Thoughtful, Moving Exploration of Passionate Youth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/101672) by [thehoyden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehoyden/pseuds/thehoyden). 



Iruka scrubbed his face with his hands and bit back a groan. It had been a long day of training and it felt like every part of his body was bruised and aching, even parts he hadn’t known could feel pain. He thought back to his time as a Genin felt almost overwhelmed with jealousy for his younger self. It had been easier back then, which meant that he just had more hard work to look forward to a Jounin. 

All thoughts of top level missions and anbu masks were pushed from his mind when he heard a voice cry out sharply in the night. He whipped his head around and stared down an alley not well illuminated by the street lights.

“You stole this didn’t you?” A man shouted. There was a loud bang, metal hitting pavement, and then more shouting.

“Hey! I didn’t steal this, I just found it! Believe it!” This voice was much higher pitched, possibly a child.

Iruka sighed and turned towards the source of the noise. He didn’t see any other higher ranking shinobi around, so he would have to go and take a look. It didn’t sound like an enemy attack, but he wouldn’t feel right if he accidentally ended up leaving a civilian in harm's way. 

He rounded the corner of the building and looked down the alley. His eyes went wide as they adjusted to the low light and took in the scene in front of him. A huge man wearing a kitchen apron was holding a small child in the air, hand fisted in the kid’s shirt. The little boy was flailing wildly, trying to kick the man in order to escape his grasp. At their feet was a canvas bag, the contents spilling into the dirt. A dozen or more mismatched takeout containers, all from different restaurants in the area. Most likely extras that had been discarded by the somewhat dubious looking nature of their contents. There was a strong smell of stale grease even from a distance.

“Yeah as if I would believe you! You’re trouble, I know, everybody knows!” The man raised the child up more, the dim electric lights turning his spiky blonde hair into a halo. “You won’t trink me you-”

Iruka took a step forward and tilted his head so that his headband caught the light. “Hey, do you need some help sir?” he kept his voice pleasant, just to be safe, but he was almost certain the man wasn’t a ninja of any kind. He was much larger than Iruka, but much older, with a distinct paunch, nothing to concern someone already at Chunin level. 

The man’s eyes traveled from Iruka’s headband down to his face, squinting to try and make out his features in the darkness. Iruka was clad in the standard uniform, dark pants and shirt under the basic vest. It was difficult to tell if he was merely a Chunin or Jonin, a chance the man seemed unwilling to take. “Yeah, you shinobi are meant to guard the village huh?” he scoffed and dropped the boy unceremoniously, letting the child fall onto the dirty pavement. “Protect us from him huh? I don’t want him skulking around my shop at night.”

Iruka bit the inside of his cheek and gave the man a tight smile. “Of course.” He quickly grabbed the boy and pulled him into his arms. The blonde weighed practically nothing, and he shivered against him. “Have a pleasant night.” he waited for the man to grunt in response and go back inside the restaurant before he moved at all, still overly cautious. 

When he looked down at the boy, his own brown eyes were met by large watery blue ones. The tears left little trails on the kid’s dirty cheeks as he cried, and iruka was sure he could feel his heart breaking. He cradled the child closer to his chest.

“Hey, you okay?” He looked down and didn’t see anything immediately alarming. The boy’s knees were scraped, and his elbows splotched with yellowing bruises in various states of healing. Mostly he just seemed scared. “I’m Iruka, can you tell me your name? Maybe we can find your mom or dad/”

It was the wrong question. The boy wordlessly tipped his head back and wailed, big fat tears sliding down his cheeks. Iruka panicked, juggling the child from arm to arm as he cast about for something to calm the boy down. “Uh, oh no! D-don’t-! Uh, please stop! I’m sorry sorry! H-how about a snack, you-you hungry?”

The cries stopped immediately, cut off by a stomach rumble so loud Iruka was sure he could feel it rumbling in the ground. The boy turned hopeful eyes up at him, lower lip wobbling dramatically. 

“You’re hungry?” Iruka asked hopefully. He couldn’t cook, but he knew there was a nice enough ramen stand right on the corner. “How about some ramen? Do you like that?”

The child nodded emphatically, eyes scrunched closed with intensity. “Y-yeah!”

Iruka nodded and shifted the child to his back, leaving himself a hand free. He scanned the area one last time, still half hoping to spot a blonde adult who might be looking for their lost child. But deep down he knew what was more likely. Shinobi villagers were always full of orphans. He would know of course.

The dark thoughts and chill of the night were chased away as soon as Iruka ducked into the ramen booth and sat the boy down. Inside the booth was bathed in warm yellow light, and the air was heavy with the comforting smell of broth and sizzling pork. Teuchi turned to greet them with a short wave.

Iruka looked at the kid, who was staring wide eyed at the food being prepared, and decided to just order for them both. “Hey, two of the pork ramen!” He settled in next to the kid and watched as the blonde grew more and more excited, watching the food being made.

“Hey, look, Nii-san! They’re putting in Naruto!” the boy laughed and pointed, leaning over the counter. “That’s my name!”

Iruka froze, not even reacting as his own bowl was placed in front of him. He watched the boy snap the disposable chopsticks apart and dig into the food, slurping noodles loudly. Naruto. This was the boy who housed the fox demon’s spirit inside his body. That was why the man in the alley had been so unpleasant. The demon attack hadn’t been that long ago, for many the wounds were still fresh. 

The child took a long slurp of broth right from the bowl and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Hey, isn’t it gonna get cold?” he reached over and nudged the unopened chopsticks at Iruka. His tiny eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Iruka took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The monster who had killed his parents, the fox demon that had almost destroyed the whole village, was so close. Right next to him, trapped inside that skinny little kid. Iruka let the breath rush out of him. “You just make sure you finish all that.” he calmly picked up his chopsticks and broke them apart. 

A part of him wanted to be mad, but when he looked at the child next to him, he didn’t see any kind of monster. He saw an underfed orphan that mostly just reminded him of himself. His stomach clenched, a sudden feeling of loss washing over him. He missed his parents, yes, but Naruto had never even known his. 

“I already finished.” Naruto stated flatly, shoving his empty bowl towards Iruka and eyeing the full one in front of the ninja. “Gimme some of your meat Nii-san!” he leaned forward and opened his mouth like an expectant baby bird.

Iruka gaped at the boy. The portion had been an adult sized one, and the kid had managed to scarf it down in a matter of moments. He wondered how long it had been since Naruto ate a good meal. Based on the sharpness of his collar bones under his worn out tee shirt, the boy was obviously not doing well on his own. “Here.” He picked up one of his own fishcakes and popped it into the kids mouth. The smile the boy gave him in response was worth it, he supposed.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto had insisted on being carried when they left the ramen shop, and before they had gone even half a block he was asleep, drooling onto Iruka’s shoulder. The shinobi bit back a laugh as he made his way across town. His apartment wasn’t much, but there was space for the kid until he could take him to the Hokage in the morning. The Sandaime wasn’t the kind of man to stand idly by while a child went hungry under his watch. 

Iruka was almost amazed he made it back home as easily as he had, the kid staying in a deep sleep the whole time. He had thought that surely a higher level shinobi would come after Naruto. A member of Anbu perhaps, or at least a Jounin. After all, Naruto wasn’t any random orphan, he was the vessel for the Nine Tailed Fox. Someone had to be keeping an eye on him, for the sake of the village.

He unlocked the door to his little apartment, and took a moment to scan the darkness before crossing the threshold. Everything seemed much the same as he had left it. It was a pretty typical apartment for a single Chunin. He had moved out of his families larger apartment not long after their death, and into this one. Despite living there for years, he had done very little to change things. There was a small plant on the far windowsill, which Anko had given him, and a picture of him with the Hokage, taken after he passed the Chunin exam, framed on the wall.

Iruka didn’t bother turning on the lights. He maneuvered in the dark, shifting Naruto’s weight on his back so he could lay out his futon. He settled the boy on it carefully, pulling off his sneakers and setting them aside before covering him with a blanket. He turned to head into the bathroom to get himself ready for bed, but stopped when he felt a small hand reach out and grab him.

“Are...you gonna go?” Naruto’s voice was less bratty in the darkness. His voice was so small.

Iruka covered the small cold hand with his own larger and warmer one. “No, just gonna brush my teeth. I’m gonna be right here with you, all night.” He squeezed Naruto’s wrist gently anf then stood up, heading towards the bathroom. He didn’t turn the light on until he had closed the door behind him. As soon as he was alone he heaved a sigh and bent over the sink, bracing himself on his forearms. 

“Shit...what am I doing?” He rubbed a hand over the scar on his face, tracing the damaged skin with the edge of a fingernail. He needed to stop and think, alone and away from Naruto’s big sad orphan eyes. 

Seeing the Hokage was the obvious next step, but what to even say to the man. ‘Hey I found the demon baby and instead of taking him back to the orphanage right away I fed him greasy noodles and let him sleep over’ probably wasn’t going to get him far. He thought of the orphanage, a sad but necessary part of any sizable ninja village, and shuddered. He had narrowly avoided being sent there himself after his parents died. He had been just old enough to be able to convince his elders he was able to take care of himself. Not that he had done a good job of it at first. His early years on his own were filled with bad take out and getting sick off of expired milk. It had taken a while before he finally snapped out of his sadness enough to take care of himself. 

He looked into the mirror and ruefully took in the bags under his eyes and the fading bruise along his jaw from his last mission. Well he was alive, and for ninja that was usually the full extent of self care. He pulled off his headband and shrugged off his vest. He shook his head as he pulled off his hair tie, running his fingers through to comb out some of the tangles.   
  
He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth, the heaviness in this limbs a reminder it was late, and he’s had a long day. He tried to push aside his worries as he settled down onto the futon next to Naruto. The boy made a soft little sound in his sleep, and rolled over to Iruka like a flower facing the sun. 

\---

Iruka woke early, jerking into wakefulness as a tiny hand slapped him across the face. He tilted his head down to find his attacker still asleep, one hand fisted in Iruka’s shirt while the other grabbed hold of a stray lock of hair. 

“Hey, Naruto, gotta let me up,” Iruka whispered, trying to pry the child off. He could tell by the angle of light coming in through the window it was already later than he normally slept, and he desperately needed a cup of tea to put his head right. 

Naruto made an unhappy little squeak and detached from Iruka, rolling over and latching on to a pillow like a limpet. The teen shook his head and quickly changed into a fresh uniform, grabbing his headband from the bathroom where he had left it the night before. He dug around in the small closet to see if he had anything Naruto could wear, eventually finding a worn orange tee shirt from his time as a Genin. 

Iruka laid out the shirt and turned his attention to the matter of breakfast. His fridge was predictably almost empty. He rummaged in the cabinets and managed to unearth some garlic starting to sprout, a packet of instant miso powder, a half full bag of rice, and a packet of nori sheets. He stared at it all and then shrugged, resigning the two of them to plain onigiri and garlic miso soup for breakfast. He got the rice going and then decided to tackle getting naruto cleaned up. 

It turned out the blonde liked to stick to the futon like he’d been stuck there with a sealing jutsu. He held on tight to the blankets and screwed his eyes shut tight and iruka desperately tried to coax him to get up.

“Come on Naruto! You gotta get up so we can get you dressed and eat before we go see the Hokage!” iruka groaned and released his hold on the boy’s leg to perform a quick series of hand movements, a shadow clone popping up next to him. His double raised his eyebrows but left the original to wrestle Naruto, focusing instead on cutting nori strips and stirring the miso.

Naruto cracked open one eye and sniffed at the air like a dog. “Breakfast?” He asked, voice high and hopeful. 

Iruka rolled his eyes and plucked Naruto out of the blankets, pulling off his ratty flame designed shirt and giving him a quick wipedown with a damp cloth. “Yes, it’s nothing fancy so don’t get too excited.”

Naruto ignored him and craned his head to get a look at the clone making breakfast, allowing himself to have a clean shirt pulled over his head. “Hnnng, okay.”

Iruka took the onigiri from his clone, along with the proffered thermoses of tea and soup. His copy gave them a quick smile and poofed out of existence, much to Naruto’s amusement. “Now, let’s go!” Iruka scooped up Naruto and settled him easily on his shoulders, handing the boy his own food. “Don’t make a mess on my hair he warned.” Although it seemed unnecessary to say, the boy seemed to make sure every individual grain of rice made it into his mouth.

Iruka took a somewhat roundabout path to the Hokage’s office, avoiding cutting through the training fields or close to the academy. It was well into the morning and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of his fellow ninja until he had talked to Sarutobi. 

Thankfully the only person he ran into on the way was his friend, Mizuki. The other shinobi had seemed surprised to see Iruka with a child, but had agreed easily enough to cover for him at the mission desk. It wasn’t until he was standing in front of the door to the Hokage’s office that Iruka realized he still wasn’t sure what he would say. He raised his hand to knock, but just let it hang there in the air as he wracked his brain.

“Hey! Come in already!” A deep voice boomed from inside the room, causing Iruka to jump back.

Iruka cringed as he pushed the door open, poking his head through to see. The Hokage was seated at his desk, scrolls spread out in front of him. There was no one else in the room, and the Hokage had lit his pipe, filling the space with the smell of smoke. “Sorry, I didn't think you had heard me.” He rubbed a finger over his scar and forced a smile.

The Hokage snorted. “I wouldn’t be much of a ninja if I didn’t sense two children skulking around.” he waved them in, tipping back his hat to get a better look at the pair. 

Iruka walked into the middle of the room, taking Naruto off his back and setting him on the ground. He gave a low bow, reaching out to grab Naruto's head and push him into a matching posture. “Lord Hokage...I…”

“You’re Naruto Izumaki,” the Hokage interrupted, his sharp eyes locked on the child. The boy looked up at him through a fringe of blonde hair. “Iruka, do you know who this child is?”  
Iruka swallowed dryly and stood up, falling into a formal stance with his arms clasped behind him to hide his fidgeting. “Y-yes sir. I do.” He made sure to maintain eye contact, not letting his voice waiver. “I came here with Naruto because I found him last night. He was on the street alone, at night.”

The words hung in the air. The hokage took a deep draw from his pip and then slowly let the smoke out. He took the pipe from his lips and furrowed his brow. “Tell me exactly what happened…” Iruka opened his mouth to answer, but the Hokage cut him off. “Explain, Naruto.”

The Chunin tried to hide his surprise as his eyes were drawn over to the little boy. Naruto paused, scrunching up his face as though struggling to recall the details of the previous night. Watching the boy hum and rub at his chin, iruka felt a drop of sweat work it’s way down his spine. 

“Well, I was out looking for something to eat, yeah? Then there was a big guy and he was a jerk to me. He totally tried to catch me, but he couldn’t. Since I’m so fast and all,” Naruto struck a pose to illustrate his point, thrusting his face forward and letting his arms wave behind him. “But anyways, Iruka came and I had to save him! Then he took me for ramen! I got the pork kind! They actually put a little bigger piece in mine than Iruka’s!” Naruto held his hands out a few inches apart to show the size of his cutlet. 

The Hokage kept his eyes on the boy as he chattered, going over the night in great detail. Everything from Iruka’s apartment (“nice and warm”) to his cooking (“The rice balls were big but kinda lumpy”) was commented on. Iruka felt like his body was turning to stone. The longer Naruto talked, the more dread he felt.

Eventually the flood of words ceased, and Naruto just stood there, foot idly scuffing the floor. The Hokage nodded and tapped his pipe to empty the ash. “I see. Iruka, why did you not take Naruto back to the orphanage?”

At the mention of the place, Iruka felt Naruto go stiff next to him. The happy child seemed to wilt, drawing into himself. Iruka reached out and put a gentle hand on the boy’s spiky blonde locks. “I...I didn’t want to be there either,” he said finally, “I think maybe Naruto would be happier with me. I’ve been thinking about switching to a teaching track, so I wouldn’t have to be away much.”

Naruto started, looking up to the older boy. He had been sure that the trip to the Hokage was just Iruka taking a roundabout way of returning him to the oversight of the people who ran the orphanage. The last time he had run away, the woman in charge had threatened him with dire consequences if he dared to do it again. This time he had been gone for the better part of a week.

The Hokage did a quick hand sign, and a scroll appeared before him. He opened it, and then took a stamp, and stamped it neatly on one corner. “I don’t like children going hungry in my village, Iruka.” His voice was low.

Iruka nodded and clenched a fist. “Then, I guess I’m going to learn to cook!” He knew what the man meant though. Even at the worst of times, right after the demon fox attacked, he had been taken care off. Everyone left broken and alone after the attack was taken care of. Even Naruto, the cage for the worst monster the Leaf Village had ever seen, was worth caring apart, to the Hokage. 

“Naruto, would you like to stay with Iruka, from now on?” the Hokage asked, “You would have to listen to him, and behave yourself. No more running away.”

Naruto didn’t even hesitate. “I-I WANT TO STAY WITH IRUKA-NII!” He Reached out and grabbed onto Iruka’s arm. 

Iruka blinked and then pulled Naruto closer to him. When he looked up from the boy’s smiling face, he saw a matching, knowing smile, on the Hokage. And if the image was blurred by tears, well that was fine.   



	3. Chapter 3

Iruka woke with a start at the sound of a fist bangning on his door. It was only early evening, but it had been a busy day for him and Naruto, and they had both dozed off on the couch. Iruka set the grumbling child aside and yanked the door open to find himself staring at three shinobi laden with boxes.

The two genin leaned around their burdens to look up at Iruka. “Hey, this the Umino household?” One asked, scrunching up his nose under a bandage as he spoke.

Iruka nodded and took a step back to let the group file in. “Uh, yes?” he said, half a question. He recognized the genin, they had been a few years behind him in school, and the Jonin was one he had seen around town. It was actually rather hard NOT to notice the older ninja, with his bright green outfit and booming voice.

“We were tasked with a supply drop off!” The Jonin shouted, flashing a wide smile.

The noise was enough to startle Naruto out of his slumber, the boy jumping up and half falling to the floor in a panic. Iruka yelped and dove for the floor, trying to catch him before his head cracked open. His chest slammed into the floor, knocking the wind out of him, but leaving him empty handed. He looked up to see Naruto hovering in the air above him, safely in the other ninja’s hands. 

“Wow! The energy of youth huh?” The man carefully put Naruto on the couch, reaching out and ruffling the soft blond hair. 

Kotetsu and Izumo groaned, shoulders slumping. “Guy-sensei, please try and be a bit calmer inside okay?” They whined, apparently used to this behavior. 

Iruka winced as he got to his feet. He was a ninja, falling on his face in a panic in front of a Jonin was embarrassing. “Uh, no, don’t worry I just...” he trailed off and looked at the delivery that had been brought in.

Several of the cardboard boxes were open. The nearest was full of brightly colored clothes, most of them somewhat worn. Kid’s clothes, things in Naruto’s size and a few things that looked big enough for him to grow into. There was also a larger futon and some blankets in another box.

The genin grumbled as they finished setting down and stacking the boxes, clearly bored with their D rank mission. “Sensei, are we done?” They asked, slightly out of unison. 

The Jonin seemed to deflate slightly and then nodded, pointing at the door. “You may leave, but I expect you to have memorized the map for this weekend’s mission by the time we meet for training in the morning.”

His words were left hanging in empty air though. The moment the words ‘leave’ had left his mouth, the kids had disappeared. Iruka was almost impressed at their use of ninja escape arts, clearly getting away from the older man was something they worked hard at. 

Guy’s mouth pinched, and then broke out in a wide smile. “Ah! The cool attitude of youth!” He clenched his fist and closed his eyes, a single tear seeming to glisten on his lashes for a moment as he held the pose.

Naruto stared wide eyed at the man, obviously unsure what to make of the situation. “Are you a real ninja?” He asked, squinting up at the man.

Guy’s eyes went wide and then he spun on the spot and struck a pose, fingers up in a classic V. “Ah! Yes! You clearly have a keen eye! I am Might Guy!” 

Naruto seemed to think about it for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, okay Mr. Mighty Guy.”

Iruka blushed and held his hands up. ‘Uh, no Naruto, it’s actually-” He was cut off by a burst of laughter so loud his ears were left ringing.

“AHAHAHAHA! Well, you are partly right! I am a very Mighty Guy!” The jonin gave a thumbs up. “Now, is there anything else I can help with? I am here on an official mission after all.”

Iruka quickly shook his head. “No, no, thank you for all the help. He patted one of the boxes. “This should really help. I think I’m just gonna start sorting all this stuff and then make some cup noodles for me and Naruto.”

The boy perked up at the mention of instant ramen, eyes hungry. “Ooh, can I have a pork one?”

Guy’s smile disappeared. “Cup noodles?” He asked, voice low and serious.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yes? D-do you want one?” he offered, slightly confused. 

Guy covered his face with a hand, peering out from between two fingers. Iruka couldn't help but think he had seen the same pose on a recent movie poster. "How can the flower of youth bloom with such fertilizer??" He demanded, turning his face away. "As a cool and hip Jonin it is my job to guide you!"

Iruka pulled a face. He was a Chunin, able to lead his own teams. He didn't need some stranger treating him like a Genin. 

He was about to tell the taller man to shove it, when Naruto butted in. 

"I wanna do ninja stuff!" The boy stood up on the couch cushion and held his arms out. "Take me!"

Guy nodded. "Let's go!" He swung the kid up onto his shoulders and set off at a sprint, out the door and down the wall of the apartment building. 

Iruka yelped and stuffed his feet into his shoes, hurrying to catch up. He slammed the door behind them and added an extra boost of chakra to his steps. The other man was  _ fast. _

By the time Iruka closed the gap, Guy had made it to the main market street. The street was filled with people, both ninjas and civilians. Iruka pushed his way through to Guy, who was loading up a bag with vegetables and tofu. 

"Vegetables and fermented soy are both important parts of the diet!" Guy explained, handing the bag of green onions crowns to Naruto as he fished out his wallet. "A balance of yin and yang can be maintained through healthy lifestyle choices!"

"Ramen is a healthy lifestyle choice!" Naruto argued, clearly distressed by the threat of so much healthy food. “I LIKE ramen!”

“I promise you will like this!” Guy seemed enthusiastic, eyes shining as he stared off into the middle distance. “On my honor as a ninja!”

Naruto closed his eyes in thought. “If it’s bad you owe me a pudding,” he said, his childish voice suddenly deathly serious.

Guy nodded emphatically. “If I fail in my task I will give you one hundred puddings in penance!”

Iruka interjected, already seeing the sly look on Naruto’s face. “Ah, sorry Guy sensei, but I think one pudding would be plenty. Naruto needs to eat healthy foods, right?” he shot the boy a dirty look, already catching on to how he was planning on conning the older ninja into giving him a pile of snacks taller than he was.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He had been sure his plan would work. But he didn’t argue, he just fell behind the adults as they moved from stall to stall, Guy filling a shopping bag with more and more interesting things. The Jonin made them wait outside as he ran into the corner store, insisting they shouldn’t see the ‘secret ingredient’ beforehand. Iruka simply nodded, and watched as the man’s bowlcut disappeared through the double doors. 

“He’s weird.” Iruka jumped at the sound of Naruto’s voice. He was staring at the door of the store Guy had just walked into. 

Iruka laughed and rubbed at his scar. “Well, he’s excited, but he’s nice. He doesn’t have to make us dinner, he’s probably busy, you know.” he looked around and then ducked down to whisper in Naruto's ear. “And sometimes even ninja’s get lonely.” 

Naruto’s big blue eyes went wide. “Oh.”

Iruka didn’t have a chance to say anything else, but when the bell over the door jangled and Guy came out, Naruto rushed over to grab his arm. He fell into step beside them as Naruto shot rapid fire questions at Guy, asking about everything from his favorite color (green), to his favorite ninja weapon (nunchucks). As they turned back towards Iruka’s apartment he noticed how many people were watching them. As the little group made it’s way through the busy Konoha streets, faces turned at the sound of Naruto’s voice. But when the scowls landed on Guy instead of the little blond, they quickly looked away. It was nice actually, to see Naruto being treated kindly by a ninja of such high standing. Guy was a character, but he was also a respected Jonin. 

Once inside Guy set Naruto to washing rice, putting the boy on top of a chair in front of the sink. Then he emptied the contents of the shopping bag onto Iruka’s counter. The younger man leaned to the side to get a better look at what seemed like a completely random assortment of items. A can of spam, a pack of sausages, a tiny can of beans. 

Guy pointed at the little stove. “Iruka, please set out a big pot, and some cooking oil.” He started pulling the skin off an onion, setting it down on Iruka’s well worn cutting board and cutting it into perfect little pieces with a flash of his hand. 

Iruka hurried to do as Guy said, running around the kitchen fetching miso paste, and sesame oil, and putting the rice on. Guy was surprisingly competent in the kitchen, neatly slicing meat and tofu and vegetables and laying them out in the pot and adding broth. At the last moment he turned his back to the counter, blocking it from view with his body. “Naruto, why don’t you get bowls and chopsticks, the food is almost ready.”

Naruto hurried to get the little mismatched set of dishes out of the cupboard. Iruka watched Guy sneakily slip one last thing into the pot, closing the lid and turning the heat off before he could get a look. That done, Guy picked up the pot and brought it into the main room, setting it down on Iruka’s little table. 

“A healthy dinner! Full of youthful energy!” Guy proclaimed, standing over the table in a triumphant pose. He filled bowls with rice and set them in front of each seat. Then he opened the lid of the pot with a flourish.

Naruto let out a loud gasp. “Whoa!” He leaned forward and stared into the pot. “So much food!”

Guy nodded and grabbed a ladle, scooping up a massive serving of meat and vegetables and broth and pouring it all into a bowl. “Army stew! I had it on a mission abroad, it has a lot of filling things in it, tastes super good, and doesn’t cost much to make.” he added, with a sheepish glance towards Iruka.

The chunin nodded, understanding dawning. Guy had been nice enough to buy the groceries, but he had also been the one assigned to bring things to help with Naruto. The Hokage probably let it slip that iruka would be taking missions in order to care for the younger orphan. This was a lesson for him as much as it was a good dinner for Naruto. 

He picked up his own bowl and took a bite. It was amazing. The salt in the meat had filled the tofu with flavor, and the vegetables were perfect with the rice. When e glanced over at naruto, the boy was cramming a massive piece of tofu into his mouth, almost choking in an effort to eat faster. He had clearly underestimated Guy, both of them had.

“It’s really good Guy sensei,” Iruka said, looking at the older man over his bowl. “I’ll have to make this myself sometime.”

Guy gave a thumbs up and smiled. He was about to respond when he was cut off by naruto.

“THERE’S RAMEN IN HERE??” Naruto was holding his chopsticks aloft, a tiny nest of curly ramen noodles caught between them. “Amazing!” he jammed the bite into his mouth.

Guy tipped his head back and laughed. “Yes, there’s one block of noodles in the pot. Everything in moderation, right?” 

Naruto didn’t answer right away, he was too busy tipping his bowl back in order to scrape the last bits into his mouth. “Ish goob”

Iruka popped a bit of tofu into his mouth and tried to hold in a laugh. “I guess Guy won, huh Naruto.”

Naruto’s face fell. “Oh yeah. It was really good.” He forced his pout into a grim looking smile. “Thanks.”

Iruka sighed and set his bowl down. “Okay, well, since you ate such a good dinner I guess pudding isn’t out of the question.” he stood up and headed into the kitchen, fishing around in a cupboard. “Guy made dinner, so I can make dessert.” he waved his find at them. 

The box of instant pudding mix was a little banged up, but the milk in his fridge was good. He followed the simple instructions and half listened as Naruto demanded a "cool ninja story" from Guy. 

Guy was a good story teller. He painted a vivid picture of a mission he had gone on, even including funny voices for the enemy ninja. He was just wrapping up the story, which involved him and the Copy Ninja Kakashi stealing the masks of enemy anbu in order to sneak away with a secret scroll, when Iruka entered with dessert. Naruto was sitting on the floor, jaw slack, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Wow!! Iruka, do you do crazy stuff like that??" Naruto asked, taking his pudding and shoving half of it into his mouth in a single bite. 

Iruka shook his head and sat down next to Guy. "No, nothing that crazy," he answered. "But some peace and quiet is good now and then anyway." 

Naruto pouted. "Well you have to tell me another good story next time!" He told Guy, a glob of pudding almost escaping from his mouth. 

Iruka bit his lip. Guy was being nicer than he had to be already. Ninja were busy most of the time, and Iruka was a low ranking member of the Hidden Leaf. "Well-"

"Of course! I have many daring adventures to tell you about!" Guy ruffled Naruto's hair and smiled. "Next time, right?" His eyes moved to meet Iruka's.

Iruka tried to ignore the tiny bit of heat in his cheeks. "Yeah, next time." 

  
  
  



End file.
